Dark Everfree

"Zigzag? Wake up! It's time for breakfast!" Starlight said as he prodded zigzag's side with his hoof.

Zigzag groaned as she woke up. She yawned. She looked to her side, were Stripe was lapping up milk from a bowl. " Hey, Starlight?" she asked.

"Yes?" Starlight answered as he used his magic to levitate a cook book.

" Do you ever have strange dreams about Prin- I mean, your mom?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.

Starlight turned, facing her. " No. Sometimes, I feel so... far away from her. If anypony ever knew that she had married a captain of the royal guard to have me, she would have been in deep trouble. I would have been in deep trouble." He finished, as he lowered his gaze. He walked slowly out of the room, the cook book floating after him.

Zigzag looked down and noticed that Starlight had dropped something. She took it in her hoof, and noticed that it was a necklace. There was a cresent moon hanging from the bottom. It sparkled in the sunlight.

After Zigzag had washed her face and cleaned her hooves, she slowly trudged to the kitchen, her thoughts bearing heavily on her. The smell of pancakes wafted through the hallway and renewed her energy. She trotted toward the kitchen, quickening her pace as she got closer. Then, BOOM!!! Zigzag slid into a mare, and just her luck, the mare had a temper. A bad one.

"Hey! Watch it!" the green Pegasus said as she shot up.

"S-sorry" Zigzag stammered , as she blushed.

The Pegasus snorted, but she calmed down a bit. "So, Starlight, this a friend of yours?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Starlight looked up from his cook book and noticed Zigzag. "Oh! Hey Zigzag! This is my friend, Herbwing. She's good at healing ponies and identifying herbs and plants. I thought we could bring her along with us to stop the Shadow Bolts. Herbwing, this is Zigzag. I saved her in the forest yesterday. She's going to help us stop the Shadow Bolts." Starlight quickly looked back at his cook book, looking at the next step for pancakes.

"How do you know about the Shadow Bolts?" Zigzag asked, as she walked down the hallway to the living room, with Herbwing trailing close behind.

"M-My dad was murdered by DarkShadow. My mom disappeared recently. Since then, I became a spy against the Shadow Bolts. I live in the mountains, about an hour or two from here." she answered, her voice cracking.

Zigzag's eyes softened. "I'm so sorry..." she said quietly.

Herbwing laughed. "Zigzag, it's not your fault!" she said, but Zigzag could note a touch of sadness in her voice.

Stripe flew into the room, and started to bite her ear. "Stripe!" Zigzag laughed. "Stop that!" she said as she tried to pull Stripe off. Herbwing watched them, amused until her sharp ears picked up a sound outside. She quickly looked out the window, just in time to see a grey Pegasus dressed in the Shadow Bolts uniform ringing the door bell. She quickly grabbed Zigzag and Stripe, and took them up to the attic. "Hey?!" Zigzag protested. "Sssshh!" Herbwing warned as she desperately searched her mind of how she could save Starlight. She heard a plate crash and Starlight yelling help. But soon, all she heard was silence.

Herbwing waited a few minutes before finally opening the attic door and flying to the kitchen. Zigzag did the same. Zigzag's eyes widened as she saw a trail of blood leading to the front door. "B-b-but how? How? S-S-Starlight. T-t-This isn't funny anymore. C-c-come out!" Zigzag said, as tears started flowing down her face.

"Please*Hic* Herbwing. We have to*Hic* find Starlight before it's too *Hic* late." Zigzag said as she looked at Herbwing with wide eyes.

Herbwing nodded curtly. "Take everything you need. We're gonna go on one hell of a journey." Herbwing smiled.

Herbwing and Zigzag had been flying for a long time. A very long time. Just as Zigzag thought her wings were going to burst with pain, Herbwing pointed her hoof toward a clearing. "Let's take a break over there." Herbwing said as she started to make her way down to the clearing.

They had left Stripe at Starlight's house, hoping they would be back soon.

Zigzag stuffed the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth and chewed. " Herting, ouy magke the kest handwiches wever!" she said.

  Herbwing got up. "Come on, Zigzag. We haven't got all day, you know." she said. Zigzag nodded and started to pack up her stuff.

Many hours later, they arrived at a cave. Herbwing peeked inside, and sighed when she realized it was safe. She trotted into the cave, thankful they had found somewhere warm to sleep for the night. Zigzag returned from collecting firewood. "Good. Now put it over there and use the match to set up a fire." Herbwing ordered, as she got the sleeping bags and started to set them up.

"Herbwing?" Zigzag said, as she laid down in her sleeping bag.

"Yes?" Herbwing responded, turning over to face Zigzag.

"Do you think we can stop the Shadow Bolts?" Zigzag asked as she looked up at the cold, stone hard cave ceiling.

"Zigzag. You must have faith in your self and those around you. If you don't, nothing will ever go your way." Herbwing responded quietly, as she drifted off to sleep.

Zigzag thought of what Herbwing had said. "Faith" she mumbled as she let the warm clutches of sleep  take her.

A shrill cry broke the silence as Herbwing and Zigzag shot up. They looked towards the cave entrance as a white earthpony was being carried away by a pair of Shadow Bolts. "Help me!!!!!!" she yelped,as one of the Shadow Bolts hissed angrily and drove a knife into her side.

Her screaming died out as she fainted. Herbwing quickly flew over to her bag and pulled out a shiny dagger in her teeth. Zigzag stared at Herbwing. Herbwing stepped out of the cave, taking the dagger with her. Zigzag couldn't see what had happened, but she could hear. But, at that split second didn't want to hear. She wanted to be deaf. She wanted to curl up in a ball and make it all go away.

"He-..."

"O-"

"AAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Zigzag winced as she imagined what was going on outside. Herbwing came in dragging the white earthpony behind her.

"Zigzag, get me some of those cobwebs over there. Those are good at stopping bleeding. I also need wild garlic, and a poppy seed or two. The wild garlic is to make sure there is no infection, and the poppy seed is to help her sleep." she explained, a grim look in her eyes.

Zigzag quickly nodded, and dashed over to Herbwing's bag. Herbwing started to stroke the white earthpony's mane, and noticed it was curly.

"I wot kit!" Zigzag announced as she trotted over, her voice muffled by the leaves and herbs in her mouth.

"Good. You'll need to help me, I can't do this alone. Start to lay the cobwebs on her wound, I'll use the wild garlic." she said.

Zigzag nodded and started to use the cobwebs. They were sticky, and wouldn't come off of her hooves, but she managed.

After they were done, they white mare started to come to.

"H-huh? A- a-are they gone?" she rasped.

"You're safe. That's all that matters." Herbwing smiled down at her.

"Really?" the white earth pony smiled weakly. "My name... My name is Cloud heart." she said, as she started to get up, but winced in pain.

"Lay down, you still need lots of rest. Here, take my sleeping bag." Herbwing said as she got up and started hauling the sleeping bag towards Cloud heart.

"Zigazg, Zigzag! I need you to fly by the forest and check if there's any sign of the Shadow Bolts," Herbwing murmured as she prodded Zigzag's side.

Zigzag woke up groggily and nodded at Herbwing. She looked over at Cloud heart. Still snoozing. She forced herself to stretch and opened her wings, ready to fly off.

"Wait!!" Cloud heart shouted as she scrambled up to her hooves.

"What the hay?" Zigzag asked, as she dodged Cloud heart.

"I-I-I have to show you something," Cloud heart gasped.

"Ok..." Zigzag answered warily, as she started to fly down.

"Herbwing, is that Ok?" Zigzag asked.

"Y-" Herbwing was stopped by Cloud heart.

"Why do you have to ask her if you want to do something?" Cloud heart inquired, oblivious to the fact that Herbwing was glaring at her.

"Well, Herbwing's had a bit more experience than I've had in the wild, so she knows what to do." Zigzag hastily answered, trying to avoid letting the two mares fight.

"You may go now." Herbwing said between clenched teeth.

"Ok! He he..." Zigzag responded as she started to trot out of the cave with Cloud heart close behind.

"So, what do you want to show me?" Zigzag asked as they were entering the forest.

Cloud heart giggled. "Just wait and see!" she responded cheerfully.

Zigzag looked puzzled. "Why do we have to go so deep in the forest to see it?" she inquired, hoping Cloud heart would respond.

Cloud heart sighed. She turned around to face Zigzag. Tears were streaming down her face. Zigzag gasped.

" Cloud heart? What's wrong?" she asked, hoping she could comfort the white mare.

"Freeze."

Zigzag turned around just in time as a bullet whizzed past her, barely missing her head.

"What in the name o-"

She gasped when she saw a Shadow Bolt.

"I'm so sorry! I should have never led you here!" Cloud heart sobbed as Zigzag tried to understand what was going on.

"Come with me or that little traitor gets it!" the Shadow Bolt said as he took of his mask, revealing a purple unicorn.

Zigzag couldn't help it. She started to sob.

"Star-s-Starlight?" she asked in a tiny voice.

Starlight narrowed his eyes. "I am not this Starlight you speak of. I am Shadow Bolt number 2,900, loyal to lord Dark Shadow." he added tartly, pointing his gun at Cloud heart.

A crack filled the air.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Zigzag screamed, her rage bubbling inside of her.

In a flash, she yanked the gun from the magical aura, and pointed it at Starlight.

You... *Gasp* You monster!" she said.

She could see no fear in his eyes, no emotion. She broke down into sobs. "What... What have they done to you?" she wailed, her voice cracking.

"Oh my dear Zigzag! Can't handle a bit of surprise, hmmm?" A sinister voice filled the air.

Dark Shadow flew down, surrounded by many, many Shadow Bolts. Mares, stallions, even foals carried a sinister smile on their faces.

Zigzag rose to her feet, wheezing.

"What... have... you... done?!" she shrieked, her voice filling the air.

Dark Shadow laughed. "I just brought out is true emotions, that's all. Why, don't you want to join him?" he asked as he pointed a ray of light at Zigzag's head.

She took a few groggy steps, and shook her head. "No... NO!" she wailed, as her coat color became darker. Soon all that was left was a tiny shell.

"Good. Now I have my ultimate Shadow Bolt! Number 1,000,000,000!" He yelled in triumphant.

"I. Don't. THINK SO!!!!!!!!!!" Zigzag yelled again.

"wha-?' Dark Shadow was cut off by Zigzag's sudden burst in energy.

"I can't DO This ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She shrieked again, and grabbed the gun.

"Bye, bye Starlight, Cloud heart, Herbwing." she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

BAM!

Then she was gone...

Never to be seen again, never to be heard of again.

She had failed Luna.